Circuit structure, transistor and semiconductor device

Abstract

A circuit structure includes a substrate, a III-V semiconductor compound over the substrate, a Al x Ga (1−X) N (AlGaN) layer over the III-V semiconductor compound, a gate over the AlGaN layer, a passivation film over the gate and over a portion of the AlGaN layer, a source structure, and a drain structure on an opposite side of the gate from the source structure, wherein X ranges from 0.1 to 1. The source structure has a source contact portion and an overhead portion. The overhead portion is over at least a portion of the passivation film between the source contact portion and the gate. A distance between the source contact portion and the gate is less than a distance between the gate and the drain structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A circuit structure comprising:
 a III-V semiconductor compound over a substrate; 
 a Al x Ga (1−x) N (AlGaN) layer over the III-V semiconductor compound, wherein x ranges from 0.1 to 1; 
 a gate over the AlGaN layer; 
 a passivation film over the gate and over a portion of the AlGaN layer, wherein the passivation film includes a first opening and a second opening; 
 a source structure including at least one conductive layer contiguously extending from over a top surface of the passivation film on a first side of the first opening to a source contact portion disposed in the first opening and to an overhead portion disposed over a top surface of the passivation film on a second side of the first opening, wherein the overhead portion is over at least a portion of the passivation film between a drain structure and the gate; 
 the drain structure on an opposite side of the gate from the source structure and wherein the drain structure is disposed in the second opening of the passivation film; 
 wherein a distance between the source contact portion and the gate is less than a distance between the gate and the drain structure. 
 
     
     
       2. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the overhead portion of the source structure is disposed directly on the passivation film. 
     
     
       3. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the overhead portion of the source structure is further over the gate and directly on a portion of the passivation film in a drift, region between the gate and the drain structure. 
     
     
       4. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the overhead portion has a maximum length from the gate that is less than about ⅔ of the distance between the gate and the drain structure. 
     
     
       5. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the source contact portion and the gate is less than about 1 micrometer. 
     
     
       6. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the source structure or the drain structure comprises the least one conductive layer of ohmic metal layers comprising a first metal layer including titanium, and a second metal layer including aluminum. 
     
     
       7. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the distance between the source contact portion and the gate is greater than about half of a thickness of the passivation film. 
     
     
       8. The circuit structure of  claim 1 , wherein the III-V semiconductor compound comprises GaN. 
     
     
       9. A transistor comprising:
 a gallium nitride (GaN) layer over a substrate; 
 an active layer over the GaN layer; 
 a gate over the active layer; 
 a passivation film over the gate and over the active layer, wherein the passivation film has a first composition extending from the active layer to a top surface; 
 a source structure including a contiguous ohmic metal layer having a source contact portion and an overhead portion, wherein the overhead portion of the contiguous ohmic metal layer is directly on the top surface of a portion of the passivation film between the source contact portion and the gate; and 
 a drain structure on an opposite side of the gate from the source structure; 
 wherein a distance between the source contact portion and the gate is less than a distance between the gate and the drain structure. 
 
     
     
       10. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the contiguous ohmic metal layer includes:
 a first metal layer including titanium; 
 a second metal layer including aluminum, and 
 a third metal layer including nickel, copper, titanium, or titanium nitride. 
 
     
     
       11. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the GaN layer comprises unintentionally doped gallium nitride and the active layer comprises Al x Ga (1−x) N, wherein x ranges from 0.1 to 1. 
     
     
       12. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the passivation film is at least 300 angstroms thick. 
     
     
       13. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the passivation film comprises silicon nitride, silicon oxide,silicon oxynitride, carbon doped silicon oxide, carbon doped silicon nitride or carbon doped silicon oxynitride. 
     
     
       14. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the overhead portion of the source structure overlaps at least a portion of the gate. 
     
     
       15. The transistor of  claim 8 , wherein the overhead portion of the source structure overlaps a portion of the passivation film in a drift region between the gate and the drain structure. 
     
     
       16. The transistor of  claim 9 , wherein the distance between the source contact portion and the gate is less than about 0.2 micrometers. 
     
     
       17. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a III-V semiconductor layer over a substrate; 
 an active layer over the III-V semiconductor layer; 
 a gate over the active layer; 
 a passivation film over the gate and over the active layer, wherein the passivation film has a first opening; 
 a source structure comprising a contiguous conductive material structure with a first portion in the first opening and an overhead portion, wherein the overhead portion is over at least a portion of the passivation film between the first opening of the passivation film and the gate, wherein a portion of the overhead portion is coplanar with the passivation film disposed over the gate; and 
 a drain structure on an opposite side of the gate from the source structure; 
 wherein a distance between the first opening of the passivation film and the gate is different than a distance between the gate and the drain structure. 
 
     
     
       18. The semiconductor device of  claim 17 , wherein the source structure further comprises a source contact portion in the first opening of the passivation film and coplanar with the gate. 
     
     
       19. The semiconductor device of  claim 17 , wherein the overhead portion of the source structure is disposed over up to ⅔ of the passivation film in a drift region between the gate and the drain structure, and wherein the overhead portion disposed over the passivation film in the drift region is coplanar with the passivation film disposed over the gate. 
     
     
       20. The semiconductor device of  claim 17 , wherein the passivation film comprises zinc oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide or titanium oxide.